Tibetans stage anti-China protest in Nepal

August 26, 2008

Shirish B. Pradhan
Press Tust of India (PTI)
August 24, 2008

Kathmandu, Aug 24 (PTI) -- Hundreds of Tibetan exiles today staged
peaceful march in Kathmandu to protest against China's rule in Tibet,
coinciding with the concluding ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

There were heavy deployment of riot police in the area but they did
not carryout any arrest, according to eye-witnesses.

Over 2,000 Tibetans, including women, children, nuns and monks, began
a rally from Buddhanath, the largest Buddha stupa in eastern
Kathmandu, to Swoyambhu, the oldest Buddhist stupa located in the capital.

Many of the protesters recited Buddhist hymns in memory of those
killed during the Chinese military action in Lhasa on March 10 when
they were observing the 'Tibetan Uprising Day'.

In the past, the police have used a heavy hand, including carrying
out large-scale arrests to break up protests.

A senior police official said they did not arrest the protesters as
they were holding peaceful demonstrations in non-restricted area.

The Tibetan community in Nepal has carried out regular protests near
the Chinese Embassy and visa office here since March to highlight
their opposition to communist rule in their homeland.

Nepal Government, which insists on 'one-China' policy, is
continuously under pressure from Beijing to take strong action
against the Tibetan demonstrators in the Himalayan nation.

Many Tibetans insist they were an independent nation before Communist
troops invaded in 1950, while Beijing claims the Himalayan region has
been part of its territory for centuries. PTI